EU Funding for Startups and SMEs in 2026

EIT Climate-KIC for Startups: Accelerators, Calls and Who Fits

TL;DR: EIT Climate-KIC, now called Climate KIC, no longer runs big EU-funded grant calls for startups. As an independent foundation, it supports startups through programmes: ClimateLaunchpad (free, no equity, for ideas and companies under two years old), ClimAccelerators run by local partners (in-kind support against future equity) and joint EIT Community calls such as Catalyse NEB 2027 (€22,000 per startup, deadline 15 January 2027). Below: a deadline calendar, a route-fit table, a scored fit check, a copyable application outline and a worked founder example.
EIT Climate-KIC is the name founders still search for, but the organisation now calls itself Climate KIC, and the way it funds startups has changed. Many pages that rank for it still describe the old grant-heavy model. This guide shows what a climate-tech founder can get from it in 2026–2027, and when to look elsewhere.
All facts come from Climate KIC's website, the ClimateLaunchpad competition pages and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), checked on 10 November 2026.

What EIT Climate-KIC is today

Climate KIC was founded in 2010 as one of the first Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) of the EIT. For more than a decade it ran EU-funded innovation programmes for climate startups, cities and regions.
That model has ended. The EIT says that in 2024, under a Memorandum of Cooperation, Climate KIC became "a financially sustainable member of the EIT Community". Climate KIC's about page dates its independence to 2025, when it became a "financially and operationally independent public benefit organisation": two steps of the same move. Its legal entity is Stichting Climate-KIC International Foundation, a Dutch non-profit with public benefit status (ANBI).
What this means for you:
  • No large Climate KIC grant call. The annual startup grants described on older pages are gone.
  • Money comes through programmes: small prizes, in-kind accelerator support, joint EIT Community calls and impact investor contacts.
  • Equity is part of the deal more often. Several routes ask for a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity).
Climate KIC's ClimAccelerator page reports these totals:
These figures are cumulative and come without a reference year, so treat them as indicative.

The Climate KIC startup routes, by stage

RouteStageWhat you getEquityStatus on 10 Nov 2026
ClimateLaunchpadIdea or company under 2 yearsBoot camp, coaching, national and regional finals, cash prizes for the global top 8None2026 edition finished; 2027 call expected around March–May 2027
EIT JumpstarterScience-based idea, no company needed7-month pre-acceleration, prizes up to €10,000Not stated2026 call closed 17 May 2026
ClimAcceleratorEarly-stage startupLocal accelerator programme; Climate KIC in-kind support for top-impact startupsFuture equity (SAFE) for Climate KIC supportRolling, by country and theme
Catalyse NEB 2027Startup, incorporated after 1 Jan 2022, TRL/BRL 4+€22,000 grant, mentoring, workshopsSAFE with the allocated KICOpen to 15 Jan 2027
Women TechEU 2 EICWomen-led deep tech startup€75,000 grant plus coachingNoneOpen, two-stage call
Investing for 1.5CInvestable climate ventureIntroductions to selected impact investment fundsInvestor termsBy network
Sources: Climate KIC open calls, ClimAccelerator and climate entrepreneurship pages; ClimateLaunchpad competition page; Catalyse NEB 2027 call page.

ClimateLaunchpad: the free entry door

ClimateLaunchpad, the green business ideas competition, has run every year since 2014. It reports 18,000+ ideas submitted, 5,400+ teams supported and alumni who raised more than €500 million.
Who can enter: no business yet, or one started less than two years ago, with no substantial revenue and no more than €200,000 raised. It is "free to join" and takes no equity.
How it works: an online course, a virtual boot camp, coaching and a national final. The top three per country go to online regional finals; the top two per region reach the Global Grand Final (Singapore in 2026), where the global top eight pitch for cash prizes. Prize amounts are not published.
Timing: in 2026, applications ran from March to 15 May (deadlines varied by country), boot camps from May to July and regional finals from late August to mid-September. The 2027 call had not been announced on 10 November 2026; expect a similar spring window.

EIT Jumpstarter: pre-acceleration for researchers

EIT Jumpstarter is a 7-month pre-acceleration programme that helps "early-stage innovators" turn science-based ideas into startups. The 2026 call was open to individuals and teams from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, in six themes from energy and food to smart cities and mobility, plus a category for Maltese startups. You do not need a company yet. Finalists in each category compete for prizes of up to €10,000. The 2026 deadline was 17 May 2026, and applications went through the MyEITFood portal.

ClimAccelerator: local accelerators with a Climate KIC label

ClimAccelerators are "delivered by local partners": incubators, universities and venture builders that run cohorts of at least seven climate startups ending in a demo day. Climate KIC does not fund the programmes: "funding is dependent on the resources available from the delivery partner". It gives in-kind support, such as investor-readiness help, to the startups with the highest impact potential, in exchange for future equity through a SAFE.
Applications are rolling, programme by programme. Recent European cohorts included Clean Cities Spain (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), circular electronics in Malta (MaltAccelerate) and deep tech in Serbia (EPICenter).

Catalyse NEB 2027: the cash call to watch now

Catalyse NEB is the EIT Community New European Bauhaus accelerator; Climate KIC, EIT Food and EIT Urban Mobility are its participating KICs. The 2027 call page sets out:
  • 20 startups in total: 18 through the normal selection and 2 from the Ignite NEB programme;
  • a €22,000 grant per startup, paid as two €11,000 instalments, plus mentoring and workshops;
  • a SAFE with the startup's allocated KIC, signed before the start;
  • a for-profit startup incorporated after 1 January 2022 in an eligible country, with a PIC (Participant Identification Code);
  • at least €15,000 revenue in 2026, or at least €40,000 in investment, or Ignite NEB participation;
  • pre-seed or seed (exceptionally Series A), no more than €1 million raised, TRL or BRL of at least 4, and founders owning more than 50%;
  • a fit with the New European Bauhaus values (sustainability, inclusion, beauty) and one participating KIC's focus areas.
The deadline is 15 January 2027 at 17:00 CET, with an online info session on 25 November 2026. The EIT guarantees €1 million for the programme, "subject to confirmation".

Women TechEU 2 EIC

Climate KIC lists Women TechEU 2 EIC on its open calls page: €75,000 in non-dilutive funding for women-led early-stage deep tech startups, plus coaching, through a two-stage application. Its listing shows 14 June 2027 as the closing date; the programme's guidelines set the last eligibility cut-off on 15 June 2027 and full-proposal deadlines on 14 January, 1 April and 8 July 2027. Our Women TechEU guide has the details.

Climate KIC deadline calendar 2026–2027

DateWhatWho it is for
17 Nov 2026, 17:00 CETEnhance NEB 2027Past NEB project consortia only
25 Nov 2026Catalyse NEB 2027 info sessionStartups planning to apply
14 Jan 2027, 17:00Women TechEU full proposals, round 2Women-led deep tech startups
15 Jan 2027, 17:00 CETCatalyse NEB 2027Startups with €15,000 revenue or €40,000 investment
Mar–May 2027 (expected)ClimateLaunchpad 2027 applicationsIdeas and companies under 2 years
May 2027 (expected)EIT Jumpstarter 2027Researchers in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe
14–15 Jun 2027Women TechEU last eligibility cut-offWomen-led deep tech startups
RollingClimAcceleratorsEarly-stage startups, by country and theme
The 2027 lines marked "expected" repeat the 2026 pattern; they are not announced dates. For every other EU programme, see our EU grant calendar 2027.

Scored fit check: which Climate KIC route is yours?

Score each line that is true today:
QuestionPoints
Your product cuts emissions or helps adapt to climate change, and you can name the metric3 (required)
You are based in Europe (or a country with a ClimateLaunchpad or ClimAccelerator edition)2
Your company is under two years old and has raised under €200,0002
You have a registered company with a PIC2
€15,000+ revenue in 2026 or €40,000+ investment raised2
A working prototype or pilot (TRL 4 or higher)2
You would sign a SAFE for support and investor access1
A woman founder in a top management role and your own deep tech1
Required line missing: Climate KIC is not your door; look at general programmes on the hub. 3–6 points: ClimateLaunchpad 2027 or EIT Jumpstarter. 7–10 points: a ClimAccelerator in your country and, if you have the revenue, Catalyse NEB. 11+ points: apply to Catalyse NEB by 15 January 2027 and check Women TechEU; then aim for the EIC Accelerator.

Copyable template: a one-page climate venture outline

Every route asks the same questions. Fill this once and reuse it:
Venture: [name], founded [year], [country]. Stage: [idea / pilot / first sales]

Climate problem: [sector] emits [X t CO2e a year] or loses [EUR / litres /
hectares] because [cause]. Source of the number: [study, pilot data].

Our solution: [what it does in one sentence]. TRL [X], BRL [Y].

Impact metric: each [unit sold / site / customer] saves [X t CO2e] a year.
Five-year potential: [X t CO2e] if we reach [N customers].

Traction: [LoIs, pilots, revenue in EUR, investment raised in EUR].

Team: [names, roles, % ownership of founders].

What we need from the programme: [mentors in X, pilot city, investor
introductions]. How we would use EUR 22,000: [2-3 activities].

Next funding step: [seed round / EIC Accelerator / LIFE / national grant].
For the longer written parts of an EU application, read our guide to writing an EU funding application.

Worked example: an urban heat startup's path

A two-founder team in Croatia builds sensors and software that show cities where streets overheat in summer. The company was registered in 2025, has a pilot with one municipality at TRL 5, €18,000 in revenue in 2026 and €60,000 from an angel.
  • ClimateLaunchpad? Maybe: under two years old and under €200,000 raised, but a paying customer may count as "substantial revenue". The team asks its national organiser.
  • Catalyse NEB 2027? Yes. Incorporated after 2022, over €15,000 revenue, TRL 5, founders own 100%, and liveable public space fits the New European Bauhaus. After registering a PIC it scores 14 on the check, so it joins the 25 November info session and applies by 15 January 2027.
  • ClimAccelerator? It watches Climate KIC's programme list for a cities cohort in its region.
  • After that: measured cooling results from the city pilot prepare it for the EIC Accelerator or a demonstration project under the LIFE Programme.

Who should apply and who can skip it

Apply if you build a climate solution with a measurable impact, you are early (idea to seed), and you value training, pilots with cities and investor introductions as much as cash.
Skip it if you need a large grant now or will not sign a future-equity agreement. For research-heavy hardware, look at the EIC Accelerator 2027. Energy startups should also read our InnoEnergy guide, and agrifood climate startups the EIT Food guide. Many EU climate projects also pay startups through cascade funding open calls.

Related EU funding guides

For new EU calls every month, read Mean CEO's EU Funding News on blog.mean.ceo. And to test your climate business model before you pitch it, play the Fe/male Switch startup game.

FAQ

Is EIT Climate-KIC still part of the EIT?

It is still a member of the EIT Community, but no longer an EIT-funded KIC in the old sense. The EIT dates its financial sustainability to 2024; Climate KIC says it has been fully independent since 2025.

Does Climate KIC give grants to startups?

Not through a general grant call. Cash reaches startups through specific programmes: Catalyse NEB 2027 pays €22,000 per selected startup, EIT Jumpstarter offers prizes of up to €10,000, and ClimateLaunchpad's global top eight pitch for cash prizes. ClimAccelerator support is mainly in kind.

What is the Climate KIC ClimAccelerator?

A global network of climate accelerators run by local partners such as universities and incubators. Climate KIC adds in-kind support for the highest-impact startups in exchange for future equity (a SAFE).

Who can apply to ClimateLaunchpad?

People with a green business idea, or founders whose company is less than two years old, with no substantial revenue and no more than €200,000 raised. It is free and takes no equity.

When is the Catalyse NEB 2027 deadline?

15 January 2027 at 17:00 CET. Twenty startups will be selected, each receiving a €22,000 grant and signing a SAFE with its allocated KIC.

Is EIT Climate-KIC the same as Climate KIC?

Yes. The EIT describes it as "Climate KIC, formerly known as EIT Climate-KIC". The old name is still common in search results and older articles.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-11-10 11:21